Roeselare (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Mayors of Roeselare and Ostend, with all major Flemish cities and VVSG, request increased funding to tackle rising violent incidents and improve safety in their cities.
As VRT News reported, the mayors of Roeselare and Ostend are asking the government for more funding to improve safety in their cities. Roeselare has seen several stabbings over recent weekends. Residents and local leaders are worried about rising violence. The city currently pays for all its own security measures.
Mayor Kris Declercq of Roeselare said the city needs extra resources to put more police on the streets. He also said a targeted approach is needed to prevent crime. Programs to help drug addicts are part of the plan. Declercq stressed that cooperation between all 13 major cities is necessary to make the measures effective.
“Defence protects us from external threats, but if you want to guarantee protection, you must also ensure that citizens feel safe in their own streets and cities,”
Mayor John Crombez of Ostend said.
What are the Roeselare and Ostend mayors proposing to boost local safety?
Mayor John Crombez of Ostend said the move is necessary. The plan includes well-equipped police zones, strong fire departments, and prevention workers. It also focuses on neighbourhood safety and innovative projects to tackle drugs and public nuisance. He mentioned that local safety improvements would help protect critical infrastructure in Flanders, such as train stations, ports, and airports.
Cities and municipalities currently cover a large share of the costs for police and fire services. For the police, local governments pay about 70% of the total expenses. Fire departments are also largely funded by municipalities.
Central cities and the Association of Flemish Cities and Municipalities (VVSG) say this is no longer sustainable. The mayors of several cities have called for fairer cost-sharing.
“We want a 50/50 split, and the federal government has already committed to this,”
the mayors said.
The mayors are also asking for more flexible rules for strategic security and prevention contracts. These federal contracts give municipalities subsidies to prevent crime. Officials mentioned that current conditions are often strict and limit local governments in addressing specific problems.
Less rigid rules allow cities to respond better to local needs. This could include installing camera surveillance, organising neighbourhood watch programs, running youth projects, or intervening in disadvantaged areas.
Belgium has implemented similar reforms in the past to enhance public safety and distribute costs between local and federal authorities. In 2001, the country reorganised its police forces, merging municipal police with the national and judicial police into a two-tier system of local and federal units. This aimed to improve coordination across the country’s 196 local police zones.
In 2007, a new civil security framework created emergency rescue zones, combining municipal fire services into larger units to better use resources and respond faster. These changes were fully implemented by 2016.
